Aftermath
by TopKat
Summary: He was wrong to leave, wrong to say no one would care, and wrong to assume they'd do nothing about it. [akuroku, Oneshot  rated for language]


_This Fic was created with a soundtrack - namely one song, by a certain Regina Spektor. The song is 'Lulliby' (spelt intentionally wrong ;D) and can be found on her website, in the 'music' section, and by clicking on the tape that says 'Songs'. skip backwards twice, and you should find it. Worth a listen in general, and a damned good mood setter. _

_ Enjoy._

* * *

Demyx was playing his sitar again. 

It was never a pleasant sound to hear him play - talented as number nine was, his chords were slow, steadied and without passion. They fell short of the soul and managed only barely to touch the frames of Axel's mind - so withdrawn and unemotional that he barely understood them.

Tension was all around him. Demyx kept on peering at him worriedly, like at any moment he would burst into tears. Xigbar simply glared daggers at him and fingered one of his guns, an angry sneer pasted onto his face. None of them said a word.

Demyx's sad, lonesome notes plucked their way across the room towards Axel, almost sad in their passage. This melody was different - somehow, there was something strange about the way he was strumming a simple sequence, a lilting tune. The water controller, freer than any of them realised, had thin streams of liquid floating into the air from his eyelids, painting patterns of swirls and tornadoes in the air. Sometimes they danced to the music, forming a spider's web of delicate strands.

All Axel could feel was fury.

He wondered if Roxas knew how wrong he was, in saying no one would miss him. His betrayal made Axel sick to the core, his stomach burning fiercely - he could barely sit still without flinching, earning a 'look' from Xigbar. Demyx kept opening his mouth and then shutting it again, the threads of water filling the room ever faster. They started to pour, building roads and complexities in their wake. Demyx bit his tongue, barely paying attention to his fingers on the instrument, or the water within his control.

"Axel." He said softly, so innocent in his way - soft baby-blue eyes and a delicate face. A different face to what his adversaries knew. "...Are you okay?"

The streams of water that had started to build their way towards the ceiling and all around Axel's head burst, falling to the floor all at once. A thousand tears.

Axel could only laugh and wipe the salty liquid from his face.

"Have I ever been?"

Demyx nodded, clearly dissatisfied, and Xigbar - silent throughout the whole exchange - ran a hand through his hair, now coated in the dew that had exploded all around them. He clucked his tongue and finally replaced the weapons in their holders, shaking his head as he looked down, one foot bobbing. "Fuck..." He muttered in resignation. "Fuck me if all this isn't down the shitter now."

Axel nodded. "Pretty much. Little fucker." His head was starting to burn, and the temperature in the room raised a couple of notches. "We _need_ him back._ Little fucking fucker_!"

Xigbar grinned at him. "Calm down - missing your buddy already?" It wasn't too sensible a jibe.

"Well yeah, but I think the pain might lessen if I set someone on fire." He started to fidget.Demyx watched them in silence, looking worried. Axel saw him and grinned. "Hey, Dem - don't worry about it. Xiggy here's just jealous that he didn't get there first."

"As if I'd have wanted to. You had your little fuck-bunny - me? Target practice was just fine, thanks."

The fire in his head was starting to fry him. "Everyone needs a hobby."

The other boy - younger in so many ways - was starting to cry again. The spider's web built itself slowly outwards again - long ago had his plucking ceased. "Axel." He muttered, for the second time. "It wasn't...really like that...was it?" He bit his lip.

"What else could it have been?"

The blonde shrugged. "I thought maybe you...y'know...loved him a bit."

Axel stood up when Xigbar started to laugh. "Oh, Axel, Axel, Axel..." His grin was snide. "You really did." At Axel's expression, he laughed harder. "You fucking loved him!"

"Fuck off." Bravado seemed less appealing by the second, because god...he didn't want to deny the emotion that, sure enough, had always coursed through him when Roxas was around. The air was stilled and Xigbar's laughter slowly petered out - Demyx, in the corner, started plucking again if only to block out their words.

"And he left you?" Another condescending grin. "Nice choice."

The fire that had been building in him let go all at once, as quickly as Demyx's tears had fallen. "It really was." He laughed.


End file.
